SWWCOG: Discussion of standardizing ordinances to ease fire department response, Ron Milkey elected new chairperson
The Manchester Township Fire Department is asking municipalities served by the Manchester Township Fire Department to standardize three ordinances to help with fire department response. Photo courtesy of Mike Kouba, Fire Chief.
by Sybil Kolon
The Southwest Washtenaw Council of Governments (SWWCOG) elected their new chairman at their September 9 meeting. Ron Milkey, supervisor of Manchester township, will take over from Laurie Fromhart, supervisor of Bridgewater township.
SWWCOG was formed in the mid-1990s to facilitate communication, cooperation and sharing of resources in the Manchester area. SWWCOG is composed of the City of Manchester, Bridgewater, Freedom, Manchester and Sharon townships, as well as Manchester Community Schools. Other entities that participate include the Washtenaw County Road Commission and the Washtenaw County Sheriff Department as well as elected officials from the county and state.
Several members of the Western Washtenaw Regional Advisory Group (WWRAG) attended SWWCOG’s recent meeting. WWRAG is SWWCOG’s sister group centered around Chelsea.
Brandon Sears, Scio Township Fire Marshal, made a presentation about the importance of local governments having a uniform fire code. The State of Michigan has adopted the International Fire Code (IFC). Local governments can and should adopt their own local fire code to ensure proper procedures are in place regarding fire prevention, readiness and follow up. Local fire code ordinances must align with the IFC but can include additional requirements specific to local needs.
Manchester Fire Department (MFD) Chief Mike Kouba provided three ordinance templates related to open burning, driveways and dangerous buildings that he recommends SWWCOG entities consider. If the entities served by the MFD had similar ordinances it would streamline incident response.
Washtenaw County Commissioner Shannon Beamon was present and gave a brief report on county issues. She indicated there is recognition that the county needs to do more to address issues in the more rural, western portion of the county. US Representative Debbie Dingell also attended and is open to providing resources to assist the groups upon request.
There were significant discussions about how SWWCOG and WWRAG can collaborate among and between these entities to address concerns about housing, emergency preparedness, farmland and open space preservation, planning and other topics.
A previous effort by SWWCOG in the early 2000s resulted in a proposed master plan in 2003 for the SWWCOG region. This plan was not enacted but can serve as a starting point for additional discussion.
The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, December 9, 7:00 pm at the Freedom township hall. SWWCOG and WWRAG meetings are open to the public.
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